Smelting-furnace.



BEST AVAiLABLE COP S. B. LADD.

I SMELTING FURNACE.

APPLICATION 11,111) JUNE 7, 1907.-

93 1 ,775. Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

fl Z

i, x A V Hr M Q U Wininessa: fiwenior."

AAAAAA u. um 00 mm-urmmm mam-m ma BEST AVAILABLE COP.

S. B. LADD. SMELTING FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE '1, 1907,

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ti ieie i To all whom it may concern: I Be itknown-thatl, S'roRY B: LADD, a citifizen oft-he 'UnitedfSta-tes; residing at 1V ash- BEST AvAaAeLE COP. UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

-- STORYB. LADD, OF WASHINGTON,-DISTRICT OF C(JLUMBIA.

T Sm LTING FURNACE ington in the' District of-Clumbia,-have in- 5 "vented" certain new and useful Improve- -qnents in' Smelting-Furnaces, of which the folloWmg'is ajspecrficat on.

d-for insta nce as pyritic ores containing copmaniaca many ee endi g application Serial N'o; 32 K597; fild -July T906. FAccording 1his invention is furnace designed particularly for ,the' smelting "of sulfid ores; such per, -in}ac'eordance ivith the general process 'to said proesi thepyritie orefmi-xed or not 5 mm sueh wpmiom of carbon as may be -deenied desnfiiblei or economi al; is oxidized hp air w lth the{simultaneous 'application of heat by means of an electric current.

slag and matte' -iunderlying a bodyof un- For a full understanding of"my inventionreference s made'to' the accompanymg draw-" electrode.

The furnace illustrated in Figs. 1 2 is provided with an elongated hearth l mounted upon suitable standards 2 and surmounted by water-jacketed side and end walls 3.

4, 4 represent twyers disposed in a hori zontal series in the side walls. The hearth l communicates at one end with a fore-hearth 5, being very slightly inclined toward said fore-hearth if desired.

(3 represents a depending bridge wall .extending transversely of the furnace between the hearth 1 and the fore-hearth 5, said bridge wall extending below the normal level of the molten bath but affording a passage 7 for the slagand matte at the level of the hearth.

8 is a flowing tap for discharging matte and sla from the fore-hearth to a settling vessel 0? any usual or preferred type.

The means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 for maintaining the heat of the furnace comprise electrodes located respectively in the fore-hearth and at the end of the hearth re- Specification oi'Letters Patent. I P t t d A o 4 1909,

o Application-filed June 7,-1907- Serial No. 377,798.

- mote from the fore-hearth, the arrangement being such that tlw'eutire molten bath within the furnace is interposed in the electric circuit and heatedby the passage of the current. 'lheseelectrodes may consist of icarbon, raphite'or-"water cooled metal as will be readily understood, and are of a size corresponding to the- (:HL'l'QllPCOHdltlOllS re- I quired; -Asshown the-electrode 9 comprises a graphite bar set transverselyabove the hearthat the -end remote from the'discharge i and provided with graphite lugs 10 for'con- -nect-ion in circuit. The other terminalof the circuit is shown as con'iprising electrodes 1 11, 12' of the same -polarity ,-"set= in: opposite sides of the fore-hearth it will-be obvious that the electrodes may be otherwise dis- -posed', pro\-'ided they do not mater-ially obln the preferred-form nt 'furnace' E the necessary heat is developed by causing the electric current totraverse a= moltenbath of st-ruct' the flow of themolteir bath. The curren employed is alternating or direct 'pref- ='e1'ably the former. r

In practice a mol-ten bath ofmatte and slag of-suitable depth is maintained on the hearth and fore-hearth. -and overflows continuouslyfronrtheflowingtap 8 in quantity equal to the increment't'ronithe smelting, thereby maintaining a bath of substantially constant cross section and avoiding wide fluctuations of current. By the provision of the depending bridge wall 6 the discharge of the molten bath from the hearth 1 takes place from the bottom of the bath, and the latter is therefore continuously renewed, whereby any accumulation of solid matter or extraneous materials therein is prevented. Such accumulation does not in practice occur in the tore-hearth 5, as the matte and slag enter the same from the bottom and the stream is effective in removing all matters entering the fore-hearth with the slag. In the particular construction illustrated the velocity of flow of the molten bath is somewhat increased in the forehearth owing to the reduced cross section of the same as compared with the hearth, the carrying capacity of the steam being proportionately increased. The temperature of the molten bath in the forehearth is also somewhat higher than in the furnace owing to the greater development of heat in the relatively contracted passage 7, this higher temperature facilitating the subsequent settling of the matte.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the electric current traverses the molten naces of great vlength As -will be obvious,

slag-pockets for the gelectrodes may also be I provided in the constructionshown in Figs.v

1 and 2. Theelectrodes are shown, in this case as comprising a plurality ofgraphite barsassembled by means of a yoke 17in which they are wedged or otherwise secured, the current "connection being made to the heads oil-the respectivebars through a de- -,tachable bus-bar 18. The [electrodes are normally supported in any suitable manner ;upon, the, walls of the slag-pockets, 15, andare ireadily removed and! replaced by. means j ,ofaihoistil9 or mail -;.-.-v m, 2:: 9;: wlizlA furnaceffor :pyritic% smelting, comprising anelongated -hearth adapted to retain avzinolten-bathyof; matte, twyers disthe;like.; t

posed above the normal; level of-said bath,

. means for {passing .an electric; current iithrough, said bath to maintain the temperature thereof, and meansfor effecting a continuous Withdrawal vof matter from the lower *portion of-said batln i BE T MftH /XBLE cos 2. A furnace for pyritic smelting, com prising an elongated heart-h adapted to retain a molten bath of matte, twyers disposed above the normal level of said bath, means for passing an through said bath to maintain the temperature thereof, a fore-hearth having a" tap, and a conduit extending between said furnace and fore-hearth at the level of said hearth. a

3. A furnace for pyritic smelting, comprising an elongated hearth. adapted to retain a molten bath of matte, twyersdisposed above the normal level of said bath,

a fore-hearth having a tap, a conduit ex tending between said furnace and torehearthat the level of said hearth, and electrodes connected to opposite terminals of a source of electricity and disposed respec- .tively in said hearth and fore-hearth 4. A: furnace for pyritic smelting, comprising an elongated hearth adapted to re- ,tain a molten bath of matte, twyers disposed above the normal-.level f said bath,

5 me ns for-p si g t n e tr c. current through said bath to I maintain the temperature thereof, and means for effecting a continuous withdrawal ofmolten materlal from the bath.

In testimony whereof, in presence of two witnesses. 1

STORY 13.1 f LADD. Witnesses: p

. GEO. B. CHITTENDEN, 4

S. A. TERRY.

electric current i. 

